Golf ball washer



Oct. 12, 1965 c. L. GARRETT GOLF BALL WASHER Filed Jan. 8, 1964 Clarence L. Gar/eff 1N VEN TOR.

Mae/3:- WWM 19m United States Patent 3,210,789 GOLF BALL WASHER Clarence L. Garrett, 12 S. Addinsell, Phillips, Tex. Filed Jan. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 336,391 7 Claims. (CI. 1597) This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a golf ball scrubbing and Washing device characterized by a specially constructed hollow housing or casing mounted for use atop a stationary post or the like, said housing being provided with a handcrank through the medium of which ball-holding means in the chamber of the housing is operated.

It is common in the art to provide a hollow housing or casing having a container portion for a golf ball immersing fluid or liquid and wherein means is provided on the interior of the housing to revolve, scrub and wash the golf ball. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a novel housing which is provided in the chamber portion thereof with means which is structurally designed and functionally adapted to handle and act on the ball in a highly satisfactory manner.

Briefly the ball washer herein under consideration comprises a two-part or sectional housing which is provided at its bottom with a socket member for attachment to a support post or the like and which is further provided at the bottom with a plug-closed drain hole for emptying the washing fluid whenever necessary or desired. This housing is provided at its top with coacting notches which provide a hole or opening which facilitates passing the ball into the chamber portion of the housing for scrubbing and cleaning. The chamber portion encloses and confines a pair of novelly constructed scrubbing members which are preferably compressibly resilient. These members are so arranged that one member is stationary and the companion member, which is opposed thereto, is rotatable. The adjacent or proximal surfaces of the two members are arranged in coordinating relationship and are provided with aligned and appropriately oriented channels.

More specifically the complemental half portions or sections of the casing are of circular dished construction and have marginal or peripheral flanges which are fastened together and which permit access to the ball washing chamber. Then, too, the axial or hub portions of these half-sections are provided with first and second bearings which are axially aligned with each other and wherein one bearing functions to journal a coacting portion of a handcrank, the other bearing functioning to rotatably support or journal an end portion of a stub shaft which is cooperable therewith.

The rubber or equivalent ball-handling members are removably bolted in place, can be adjusted to compensate for wear and can be bodily removed and replaced whenever necessary or desired.

Further, the cooperating channels are ribbed or otherwise constructed and are accordingly adapted to frictionally grip the golf ball so that with the aid of the handcrank the ball can be initially revolved in a clockwise scrubbing and washing direction and thereafter revolved in a counterclockwise direction for removal when the desired cleansing step has been concluded.

The invention also features a novel rotatable hub unit which is located centrally in one half-section of the housing and which has a flange for removably securing the cooperating scrubbing member thereto. The hub unit is also provided with a stub shaft which is passed through a bore in the relatively stationary scrubbing member and stabilized in the bearing with which it is intended to cooperate.

The invention features a flexible oblique-angled tongue or equivalent means. This tongue is fastened at its outer end to a peripheral portion of the housing adjacent to an edge of the entrance and exit opening and the free end portion extends into the space between the channels of the scrubbing members where it functions as a ball guide; that is, facilitates inserting the golf ball as a first step and thereafter guides and pilots the clean ball outwardly through the aforementioned entrance and exit opening.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming-a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a golf ball washer constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view on the irregular section line 22 of FIGURE 1 and which is suitably enlarged to clearly show all of the essential or component parts and how they are constructed and are intended to function, parts being shown in elevation; and

FIGURE 3 is a detail sectional view taken approximately on the plane of the section line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the views by reference numerals it will be clear that the aforementioned housing orcasing comprises a hollow shell. The dished half'section or portion appearing at the left in FIGS. 1 and 2 is denoted by the numeral 6. The open side thereof is provided with an encircling outstanding assembling flange 8. The top portion is provided with a notch 10. The bottom rim portion is provided with a depending internally screwthreaded socket member 12 which is adapted to be screwed or otherwise securely mounted atop the post or equivalent support 14. At its axial center portion this halfsection is provided with an outstanding collar or neck 16 having a bushing 18 therein and defining a stub shaft bearing. This bearing is also referred to herein as a first bearing. The complemental or companion dished half-section 20 is opposed to the half-section 6 and its open side is provided with an outstanding encircling flange 22 which abuts the flange 8 and is separably screwed or otherwise connected thereto as at 24. This half-section has its top rim portion 26 provided with a notch 28 which is coordinated with the notch 10 whereby to provide a generally circular opening or hole. This opening is adapted to permit the golf ball (not shown) to be inserted and removed and is accordingly referred to as an entrance and exit opening. The bottom rim portion 30 (FIG. 2) is provided with a suitable drain hole 32 which is screw-threaded to accommodate the screwthreaded portion of a closing plug 34. This hole and plug permits, obviously, drainage of the cleaning fluid (water or the like) A therefrom. With further reference to the half-section 20 it will be noted that the axial or central portion is also provided with an outstanding neck or collar 36 having a bushing 38 and providing a second bearing. The two bearings 18 and 38 are in axial alignment with each other.

The main portion of the chamber of the housing is provided with a pair of companion scrubbing and ballhandling members. The member at the left in FIG. 2 comprises a generally circular rubber or an equivalent compressibly resilient filler or 'block, this being fitted into the receiver portion of the half-section 6. It is provided at its axial center with a bore 40 and is denoted as an entity by the numeral 42. It is insertable and removable and replaceable and is assembled and held in place by a suitable number and arrangement of bolts 44 which pass through openings provided therefor and also through openings in the half-section 6 with the threaded outer ends secured in place by retaining nuts 46.

The inwardly disposed face or surface of this member is provided with an endless ball-seating channel having circumferential friction-gripping ribs 48 therein. These ribs and channel are opposed to and cooperate with an equivalent companion channel 50 formed in the opposed inner surface of the relatively movable scrubbing member 52. The scrubbing member 52 is accordingly shaped and fitted in the receiver portion of the shell or halfsection 20. It is of annular form and encircles an axial hub unit denoted at 54. This hub unit embodies a body portion 56 which is provided at the right with an outstanding flange 58. The body in turn is provided with an axially projecting integral stub shaft 60 which extends through the aforementioned bore 40 and is journaled for rotation in the bearing 18. The scrubbing member 52 being of annular form has its hub portion fashioned or shaped to snugly embrace the component parts 56 and 58. This member is also equipped with headed screw-threaded fasteners 62 which are properly arranged and are anchored in screw-threaded sockets provided therefor in the flange 58. Hence this scrubbing member 52 is readily applicable and removable. The bolts 44 and 62 can be tightened to compress the respective members 42 and 52 so that ample turning clearance will exist between the confronting faces thereof.

Novel means is provided and associated with the ball entrance and exit opening to facilitate the steps of inserting and removing the golf ball. This means preferably comprises a flexibly resilient plastic or equivalent guide here described as a tongue and denoted by the numeral 64. The outer end portion extends through a margin of the opening where it is suitably 'bent and shaped as at 66 whereby to permit it to be anchored on the flanges by an appropriate fastening 68. The tongue is oblique-angled as brought out in FIG. 1 and it extends inwardly through the ball entrance and exit opening. The free end portion projects as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 into the space between the respective ball seating channels 48 and 50.

With the construction herein shown and described it will be evident that the user will place the dirty golf ball in line with the opening means and will permit it to be guided into its initial position by way of the guiding tongue 64. He will then catch hold of the handcrank 70 and impart rotation to the portion 72 thereof which is rotatable in the bearing 38. Inasmuch as the crank portion 72 is attached to the turnable hub means the hub will be turned and consequently the relatively movable ball-handling and scrubbing member 52 will be rotated. The direction of rotation should preferably be in a clockwise direction. After the ball has been slowly revolved around in the cooperating tracks or channels and immersed in the fluid or water A it will be scrubbed and cleansed. After a full turn of the crank the motion of the crank can be reversed to thus rotate the member 52 in a counterclockwise direction. By pursuing this step slowly it will be evident that the ball, now clean, will be returned to and lined up with the entrance-exit opening. In fact, the tongue 64 will now come into play and will pilot the clean ball outwardly through the opening where it can be caught hold of and wiped off and made ready for use.

It is believed that a careful consideration of the specification in conjunction with the drawings will enable the user to obtain a clear and comprehensive understanding of the component parts, the manner in which they are constructed and interrelated. Accordingly, a more extended description is believed to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A golf ball washing and cleaning device comprising a hollow housing providing a ball confining chamber, said housing having a circular rim portion encompassing said chamber and provided with a communicating entrance and exit opening for the ball, means confined in said chamber for frictionally gripping and revolving the ball clockwise and alternatively counterclockwise at will within the confines of and adjacent to said rim portion, said means being communicable with said opening, and a flexibly resilient guide tongue having an outer end anchored on the exterior of said rim adjacent one marginal edge of said opening and projecting at an oblique angle through the opening and bridging the path of travel of the movable ball, said tongue serving to initially guide the ball through said opening into said chamber, and to subsequently check the counterclockwise movement of the ball, to align the ball with the opening and guide it for exit through said opening.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, and wherein the ball-gripping and moving means comprises a first member fixed in one-half portion of the chamber and provided with an endless ball-seating channel, and a second member opposed to the first member and having a similar endless ball-seating channel, said channels being aligned and providing ball seating and holding means, said second member being rotatably mounted in the other halfportion of the chamber and having a handcrank rotatably mounted and exteriorly accessible for use.

3. The structure according to claim 2, and wherein the surfaces of the respective channels are provided with friction-gripping anti-slipping ribs.

4. A golf ball washer comprising a circular hollow housing providing a ball-accommodating chamber, the rim portion of said chamber having an opening permitting the ball to be inserted and removed, a first compressibly resilient ball-scrubbing member fitted and secured against rotation in one half-portion of said chamber and having an endless ball-seating channel in an interior surface, a second compressibly resilient member confined in the second portion of the chamber, opposed to the first member and having an endless ball-seating channel aligned with and opposed to said first-named channel, hub means mounted for rotation in said chamber, said second member encircling and being operatively connected to and for rotation with said hub means, said second-named halfportion having a bearing, a handcrank having a portion thereof rotatable in said bearing and connected to and for rotating said hub means, said first member being removably secured in said housing, and said second member being removably mounted on said hub means, the axial portion of the first named half-portion having an out standing stub-shaft bearing, said hub means having a rigid axially projecting stub-shaft extending through an axial bore provided therefor in said first scrubbing member and having a free end portion rotatable in said stubshaft bearing, and an oblique-angled guide tongue having an outer end mounted on the rim portion proximal to said ball opening and an inner angled portion spanning the opening and projecting into the ball-accommodating space between said ball-seating channels.

5. A golf ball washer comprising a hollow housing embodying a pair of opposed dished complemental halfsections having abutting rim portions secured together, said half-sections having outstanding axially aligned first and second bearings, the rim portion of said housing having an opening for inserting and removing a golf ball, a first ball-scrubbing member seated and stationary in one-half section and having an axial bore aligned with the first bearing, the interior surface of said member having a ribbed endless ball-seating, guiding and rotating channel, a hub unit located for rotation within the confines of the other half-section and provided with a handcrank with a portion thereof journaled for rotation in the second bearing, said hub unit having an axially projecting stub-shaft passing through said bore and journaled for rotation in the first bearing, a second ball scrubbing member opposed to said first member and also having an endless ribbed ball-seating and revolving channel aligned with the aforementioned channel, said second scrubbing member being annular in form and encircling and being removably fastened on said hub member and turnable therewith, said housing having a plugged drainage hole, being also provided with means for attachment to and support on a supporting post.

6. The structure defined in claim 5, and in combination, a flexibly resilient ball-guiding tongue carried by the rim of the housing and projecting inwardly through said ball opening into the space between said channels.

7. The structure defined in claim 5 and, in combination, a ball guiding tongue having an outer end portion extending through and beyond a cooperating marginal edge portion of said opening and laterally bent and anchored on an adjacent surface of said rim portion and extending obliquely across the space between the respective ball seating channels and having an inner free end terminating adjacent a cooperating bottom portion of said channels.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM I. PRICE, Examiner. 

1. A GOLF BALL WASHING AND CLEANING DEVICE COMPRISING A HOLLOW HOUSING PROVIDING A BALL CONFINING CHAMBER, SAID HOUSING HAVING A CIRCULAR RIM PORTION ENCOMPASSING SAID CHAMBER AND PROVIDED WITH A COMMUNICATING ENTRANCE AND EXIT OPENING FOR THE BALL, MEANS CONFINED IN SAID CHAMBER FOR FRICTIONALLY GRIPPING AND REVOLVING THE BALL CLOCKWISE AND ALTERNATIVELY COUNTERCLOCKWISE AT WILL WITHIN THE CONFINES OF AND ADJACENT TO SAID RIM PORTION, SAID MEANS BEING COMMUNICABLE WITH SAID OPENING, AND A FLEXIBLY RESILIENT GUIDE TONGUE HAVING AN OUTER END ANCHORED ON THE EXTERIOR OF SAID RIM ADJACENT ONE MARGINAL EDGE OF SAID OPENING AND PROJECTING AT AN OBLIQUE ANGLE THROUGH THE OPENING AND BRIDGING THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE MOVABLE BALL, SAID TONGUE SERVING TO INITIALLY GUIDE THE BALL THROUGH SAID OPENING INTO SAID CHAMBER, AND TO SUBSEQUENTLY CHECK THE COUNTERCLOCKWISE MOVEMENT OF THE BALL, TO ALIGN THE BALL WITH THE OPENING AND GUIDE IT FOR EXIT THROUGH SAID OPENING. 